Jul. 29, 2013
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by USA TODAY

by USA TODAY

HONOLULU (AP) - A tropical storm threatening Hawaii with wind and rain will weaken into a tropical depression within 24 hours, National Weather Service officials said Monday.

Acting Director Tom Evans of the Central Pacific Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Flossie had consistently weakened through the morning thanks to winds that broke the layers of the storm apart.

Forecasters say the storm will now bring rain of up to 6 inches on parts of the Big Island and up to 2 inches on other islands.

Evans says the storm's 40 mph winds will continue to weaken.

Tropical storm warnings are still in effect for all of Hawaii's islands. Evans says the warnings will remain in effect until Flossie is classified as a depression rather than a storm.

Forecasters still warned residents and tourists to brace for possible flooding, wind gusts and big waves along with mudslides.

Local television stations statewide extended morning news, pre-empting syndicated daytime shows to cover the storm's approach. With the storm still miles away, footage shown live showed minimal effects on the Big Island and Maui beyond some drizzles and big waves.

But state and local officials repeatedly warned residents and tourists to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

"Please stay home and in a secured, sheltered area," Hawaii County Mayor Billy Kenoi said.

The center of the storm was about 90 miles northeast of Hilo on the Big Island on Monday morning. It had sustained winds of about 40 mph but was breaking apart as it approached the islands, creating separate fronts of wind and rain expected to pelt the archipelago.

The National Weather Service on Sunday issued a tropical storm warning for Oahu, Hawaii's most populous island with the city of Honolulu, to go along with previous warnings for the Big Island, Maui, Molokai and Lanai. It later issued a warning for Kauai and Niihau, saying a small change in Flossie's track could result in higher winds.

The warnings mean the storm represents a threat to life and property.

Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed an emergency proclamation in anticipation of the storm, allowing the state to use its disaster fund to pay for staff overtime, supplies and other resources. The proclamation also allows the state to call Hawaii National Guard members to duty, if necessary.

"I woke up to blue skies. It was just a beautiful day out," Ian Shortridge, 22, of Kealakekua, on the west side of the Big Island, said Monday. "It hasn't rained all morning. We are waiting for the rain."

Despite the lack of action, people were busy preparing on Sunday, Shortridge said. He was having lunch at a McDonald's restaurant, when he started to hear drilling and saw that employees were boarding up the windows. Store shelves were running low of essentials like bottled water and toilet paper, he said.

Officials warned people to cancel beach trips, finish necessary storm preparations and evacuate if asked by local officials.

The U.S. Coast Guard closed three ports - two on the Big Island where the storm was expected first and a third port on Maui. College campuses and courts were also to be closed Monday on the Big Island. The Red Cross was gathering volunteers to staff 24 shelters statewide. There were five people at the Big Island's nine shelters on Monday morning, said Darryl Oliveira, Hawaii County Civil Defense director.

Mike McCartney, chief executive of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, said some airlines have begun to adjust flights and visitors should double-check plans. Airports statewide were open Monday but many flights were being canceled.

Trails and campgrounds were closed on the Big Island, where state officials warned people to avoid forest areas until Flossie clears.

Meanwhile, in the Atlantic, the remnant of what was Tropical Storm Dorian is now a disorganized tropical rainstorm racing westward through the Caribbean, according to AccuWeather.

A reconnaissance aircraft from the National Hurricane Center reported Monday afternoon that the storm showed no signs of regenerating into a tropical storm.

The storm may press far enough to the northwest Wednesday night and Thursday to enhance showers and thunderstorms across South Florida, including in Miami, Key West and Fort Lauderdale, AccuWeather meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski reports.

Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

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